Women's Basketball

Warriors Draw 10th-Ranked Maroons In NCAA First Round

Feb 26, 2018

MILWAUKEE (WLCSports.com) - The Wisconsin Lutheran College women's basketball team will open the 2018 NCAA Division III Championship Tournament with a matchup against 10th-ranked University of Chicago Friday, March 2 in St. Paul, Minn., the NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Committee announced Monday during its Selection Show on NCAA.com. The Warriors and Maroons will tip-off at 5:30 p.m. inside the Anderson Athletic and Recreation Complex on the campus of the University of St. Thomas. The host Tommies (25-2) will face Chapman (23-4) in Friday's other first round matchup at 8:00 p.m. Friday's winners will meet Saturday at 7:00 p.m. in St. Paul.

Wisconsin Lutheran (24-3) returns to its seventh NCAA Tournament in the last eight years after defeating second-seeded Concordia Wisconsin 66-59 Saturday afternoon to secure the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference's (NACC) automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The Warriors allow just 47.9 points per game, the seventh-fewest in the country, and feature NACC Player of the Year Jen Dowden (Bonduel, Wis.). Dowden averages 17.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game. Joining Dowden in double-digit scoring are seniors Caitlin Knueppel (Wauwatosa, Wis.), who averages 14.5 points per game, and Coreana Carson (Milwaukee, Wis.) who follows at 10.6 points per game.

Chicago, which received an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, finished 23-2 overall and 14-0 in the University Athletic Association (UAA). The Maroons, who have won 21 straight games, average 78.2 points per contest, which ranks 12th in the country. UC also features three players who average 10 or more points per game, led by Mia Farrell at 15.6 points per game.

Tickets to Friday's game are $7 for adults and $4 for students and seniors.